


But My Gravity's Centred

by LadyKnightOfHollyrose



Category: Free!
Genre: 2, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Drinking, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, High ☆ Speed!, Karaoke, M/M, Multi, OT3, Polyamory, Romance, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Universe Alteration, secondary ship: Yazaki Aki/Nanase Haruka/Kirishima Ikuya
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-17
Updated: 2015-11-17
Packaged: 2018-04-30 14:23:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5167097
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyKnightOfHollyrose/pseuds/LadyKnightOfHollyrose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Centre of Gravity<br/><i>noun</i><br/>1.  <i>Mechanics</i>. the point through which the resultant of gravitational forces on a body passes and from which the resultant force of attraction of the body on other bodies emanates: coincident with the center of mass in a uniform gravitational field.<br/>2. a person, thing, or idea that is the vital or pivotal focus of interest or activity within a larger entity.</p>
            </blockquote>





	But My Gravity's Centred

**Author's Note:**

  * For [pinkstarpirate](https://archiveofourown.org/users/pinkstarpirate/gifts).



> Prompt:  
> I would love to see Sousuke and Rin corrupt Makoto's innocence, but fluff or friendship works too.

Sprawled comfortably across the bottom bunk, Sousuke’s scrolling mindlessly through google images for an appropriately dead-eyed fish picture when his search is halted by the buzzing of Rin’s phone in his hands.

Rin himself has been called away by some kind of commotion down the hall. Sousuke has a feeling it has something to do with Uozumi and Minami (and Momo’s probably not all that far behind); Rin had huffed and taken off, phone left abandoned on his desk. Sousuke, like the good friend he is, has taken it upon himself to use the opportunity to change his most frequent contact’s pictures (…barring Rin’s mother, since he does have a sense of self-preservation) to their animal counterparts.

Currently, the soulful brown eyes of a puppy peer up at him and he doesn’t need to look further down to confirm the name of the caller.

He had, after all, spent about ten minutes trying to decide which picture he felt best represented Tachibana Makoto.

Sousuke doesn’t dwell long on the dilemma of whether to answer the call or not; Rin probably won’t be back for a while yet, which should leave Sousuke enough time to complete his gift to Rin. He won’t if Tachibana keeps calling though.

He lets the call connect, swinging up his arm to put the receiver to his ear.

“Rin!” Tachibana says, relieved smile evident in the cadence of his voice. “I’m so glad I caught you! I, um, just wanted to talk to you about when you mentioned university scouts? If you’re free?”

Sousuke can feel the way his brows have started to crawl up his forehead.

He’s only been back in Iwatobi since the start of their third year in high school, but as a result, as Rin’s best friend (and roommate) Sousuke’s been subjected to Rin’s seemingly endless capacity to fret about his old teammates.

Rin, of course, has been set on his path since his first whiff of chlorine. His fellow third years over at Iwatobi, however, are another story all together.

There’s an odd thread of uncertainty in Tachibana’s voice now, as though he doesn’t already know that if Rin had been the one to answer the phone that he’d drop what he’d been doing to hear Makoto out.

In fact, he’s sure that Rin would wrap up the lecture he’s probably delivering right now if Sousuke went over there to let him know about the call…

…But he’s curious.

“Sorry Tachibana, Rin’s just wrangling a couple of the underclassman down the hall. This is Sousuke.”

“Ah Yamazaki-kun, sorry to disturb you.” If Makoto is at all put out that he’s got the wrong person, he doesn’t let the sentiment slip into his voice. Sousuke might even go as far as to say that he seems _pleasantly_ surprised to hear Sousuke’s rather gravelly voice on the line instead of Rin’s more gruff one.

He can’t imagine _why_ though.

It’s not as though they’ve really interacted barring the odd nod exchanged at joint practice, after all. If anything he’s spoken to Haruka more (though Tachibana is definitely more pleasant), even back when they’d all been on slightly better terms as kids.

Sousuke attributes his own interest in the situation to his connection with Rin.

He actually gives a one armed shrug before realising that Makoto can’t actually see him. “I was taking a break anyway.” Curiosity getting the better of him, Sousuke prods for more. “You mentioned something about scouts..?”

There’s a beat of silence, and Sousuke wonders whether, as nice as Tachibana is, he’s about to be told to butt out. In all honestly, it’s what _he’d_ be doing if their positions were reversed, so he can’t really _blame_ Tachibana if he does (politely, of course) tell Sousuke to mind his own business. In fact, just the idea of being able to hear how the gentle giant would word it would make Sousuke’s probing worth it.

He’s actually a little disappointed when Tachibana _doesn’t_ , though he’s not surprised.

“I didn’t believe him at the time, but at prefecturals Rin told me my swimming was good enough to get attention from university scouts. I mean I’m not _bad_ , but I know I’m not like you, Rin or Haru,” he adds, full off self-deprecation, and Sousuke can picture him shuffling his weight from one foot to the other anxiously.

Rin tends to have a pretty good eye for this kind of thing – comes with being as obsessed with competitive swimming as he is, naturally – but even Sousuke had been able to see something special in Tachibana’s stroke back at Iwatobi SC’s grand re-opening event.

Even back when they’d seen each other at competitions back in elementary school, there had _always_ been something special about the way Tachibana moves in the water. And in a sense, he’s absolutely right when he says that he isn’t like Rin or Nanase. Because the two of them cut through the water, hands carving a path for their bodies as they glide forward.

Tachibana pushes through with the sheer force of his will and a kick strong enough to propel him through the water as though it posed no resistance at all.

There’s definitely something to be said for the raw power he still moves with and the very idea that Tachibana would doubt this seems silly to Sousuke. But he can’t say he’s surprised either.

Still, this doesn’t explain why Tachibana feels the need to specifically speak to Rin about this _today_.

“I, um, was a little caught off guard when one contacted me from Tokyo. I thought recruitment for scholarship programmes had already ended and asked for time to think about it…” There’s a rustle on the other end of the line and Sousuke pictures Tachibana sweeping his fringe out of his face, lips twisted in thought as he recalls. "I'd only just figured out what I thought I wanted to do going forward, so when I was approached, I was a little blindsided. I just wanted to reason it out with Rin, he's got a way of putting things into perspective."

Sousuke hums under his breath. "He'll naturally be biased towards whatever would keep you swimming competitively, but ultimately? He'll tell you to listen to your gut and to listen to your heart."

Sousuke knows this first hand; Rin had been bitterly disappointed when he'd found out that the state of Sousuke's shoulder meant he had no intention of going back into competitive swimming, but he'd heard Sousuke out and has come to accept the path that he’s about to start down.

And it’s true – for all that Rin still clutches sentimentally at the idea of his friends joining him in his dream to conquer the Olympics, all he wants in the long run is for them to be happy.

Sousuke thinks back to another conversation with Rin, a throwaway comment from it occurring to him. "What do your parents think about it all?"

He can hear the fondness in Tachibana's voice when he relies. "Like Rin, they're happy to support the decision that I make."

Sousuke lets out another low hum, considering this. Then he realises what he's doing and just how invested he seems to have become in the whole situation. He pinches the skin at the top of his nose’s arch as a small intake of breath on the other end of the phone tells him that Tachibana's probably realised this too.

"...And what do _you_ think?"

Ugh, there it is.

It's the one question Sousuke’s known was bound to come since the whole conversation began, and it’s also the one question he _doesn’t want to answer._ Because to him, giving his opinion on the matter is just as bad as getting himself _involved_.

So he stalls.

"You mentioned something about settling on what you wanted to do before you got the offer,” Sousuke says at length, mind snagging on the detail that’d been touched upon but not fully explained. “Will you not be able to do whatever it is at the same time?”

He hears Tachibana’s breath catch in the phone’s speaker.

“Cause even if you get in on a sports scholarship, you’re still going to have to study. And even if you’re not sure about how _far_ you want to go with competitive swimming, it’s clear to anyone watching that you enjoy it.” Sousuke picks at the fabric of his sweatpants, unfocused gaze pointed somewhere in the direction of Rin’s spotless desk. “You don’t have to be an Olympic hopeful just to be in the college’s team y’know. I mean, it probably helps but it’s not really a prerequisite.”

“…It sounds silly now, but I guess I’ve never thought about it that way before. Thank you, Yamazaki-kun.” There’s a hushed awe to the way he speaks, and it makes Sousuke feel vaguely uncomfortable. It’s not like he’s actually _done_ anything after all.

Which is exactly what he says.

Tachibana, predictably, doesn’t agree with that assessment at all but Sousuke interrupts before he can protest too much.

“No, seriously. I haven’t done a thing,” he says firmly, and is saved from having to go further when Rin stomps back into the room, tugging the door irritably shut behind himself. Sousuke seizes the opportunity to mutter a quick goodbye before passing the phone off to its owner.

He pointedly ignores the way Rin eyes him speculatively later that evening and vows to rearrange his desk in vengeance when he doesn’t stop.

 

\--

 

“…That sweet tooth of yours is going to land you with diabetes, seriously.”

Sheepish, Makoto turns his gaze up to give Rin a guilty grin, though his palm is still wrapped securely around a tall mug topped with whipped cream. Just looking at it and the monstrosity of a chocolate cake that Makoto had been smiling absently at before is making Rin’s teeth ache.

“But they taste so good?”

Rin just rolls his eyes, utterly unsurprised. He slides his own drink (coffee, black) onto the table and lowers himself onto the free seat across from Makoto. “Honestly I’m a little worried about how you’re going to cope once you’ve moved; there are a _lot_ of bakeries in Tokyo and the coaches are a _lot_ stricter about diet over there than Gou’s ever been.”

Makoto looks up at him through his lashes. “Rin, you've never actually tried Gou's onigiri before, have you?”

That has Rin looking at him a little dubiously, because he has it on good authority that Makoto is probably the last person who should be casting aspersions on anyone's cooking.

Still the small grin on his face isn't as meek as one who doesn't _know_ Makoto might think when he quietly suggests that Rin try a few of her onigiri before heading out to Australia.

And people think he's the _nice_ one.

"Anyway," Makoto says as he finally cuts into his slab of cake serenely, "we're kind of celebrating, right? Cut me a bit of slack Rinrin."

Rin huffs at that, but it's only half-hearted at best; he's well aware that he's as stuck with the nickname at this point as Haru is with Haru-chan. If anyone can get away with using it though, it's Makoto.

As stubborn as Rin is he knows a lost battle when he sees one, and despite how pliable his attitude tends to be Makoto can still be _incredibly_ stubborn when _he_ wants to be.

"You'll regret ignoring my wisdom when you go into chocolate withdrawal a month into training," he opts to say sagely as he sips his coffee. "I hear they're particularly strict on diet where you're going."

Makoto shrugs it off, and on anyone else the way he swigs at his own liquid monstrosity would look positively defiant. “That just means I should enjoy it while I can, right?”

It's a little reassuring that however much the world may change, Tachibana Makoto will always have the biggest sweet tooth that Rin’s ever come across.

He meets Makoto’s eyes over the rim of his mug and is struck by the other ways in which is friend has stayed the same; those droopy green eyes that always seem to glint with captured warmth, the way his hair still seems to settle around him like a fluffy cloud, the way his smile can light up anyone’s day. Even when Rin had refused to reply anymore, Makoto had been the one to keep trying to reach out to him with his letters, despite the ocean between them. He’s such a constant in Rin’s life, reassuring and _present_ in a way that Rin’s learning is so important to him now.

That’s not to say that Makoto’s completely unchanged.

Rin would be hard pressed to have missed the way Makoto’s height has shot up, or the way his shoulders have broadened. While his eyes are still as soft as ever, his jawline has become chiselled, and, on _extremely_ rare occasions, has stubble.

But the most important things – the ones that make him Makoto – they’re all still there.

Rin feels lightyears away from how he had been the first time he’d left for Australia. He feels lightyears away from when he’d come _back_ , and that was only two years ago.

Setting his mug down, Rin can’t help but huff out a gusty sigh.

It still feels a little unreal that their third year of high school is _actually_ over; that they’ll soon all be parting ways and that they’re _practically adults_.

Because as much as Rin knows he’s matured over the last two years (and _boy_ has he, between rekindling his friendships and becoming a team captain) he still doesn’t _feel_ like an adult. He isn’t ready to think about things like cooking for himself, buying his own groceries, about juggling housework with _actual_ work. He knows that college – even abroad – isn’t the same as going into the working world but it still feels like a huge step. And while he’s _so ready_ to be out there, finally able to make his dreams come true… It also feels a little like stepping into the void.

Makoto’s eyes are already on him from hearing the force of Rin’s sigh, and Rin’s lips tilt up at the blob of cream decorating the corner of his mouth.

“I can’t believe you’re off to Tokyo in less than a week and you’re still getting cream all over your face.” It’s a gross exaggeration, but Rin snickers anyway as Makoto scrunches his nose and catches the serviette tossed his way.

Makoto dabs at his face with a distracted frown. “And you’re off to Australia in even less time… I’m really going to miss you, you know?”

Trust Makoto to just come out and say something so embarrassing with absolutely no shame. Rin can feel his ears heat as Makoto finally manages to catch the cream that he’d managed to smear further on another corner of the tissue.

“Yeah, well, we’ve all got phones and laptops now. So no excuses, I still want my weekly cat update from Tokyo okay?”

Wow, Rin’s pretty sure an egg could fry on his cheeks now. But the sheer delight on Makoto’s face is kind of worth it.

Rin has no plans on doing another disappearing act this time around, anyway.

“Okay.”

“And anyway,” he pushes on, unable to take the weight of his own words and the way Makoto’s now beaming at him, “if I want to represent Japan in the Olympics, I’m going to have to come back _to_ Japan so it’s not like you’re getting rid of me for long.”

Makoto chuckles at that, cutting himself another forkful of cake. “That’s true! You’ll come back and literally blow everyone else out of the water, I’ll bet.”

“Well duh, that’s why I’m going after all.” And just like that his bravado is back. As flustered as Rin may get, he’s always quick to bounce back from it at least. “I’m glad that you’ll be sticking to swimming too, to be honest. Not that I didn’t respect your decision before, but… I’m happy that you’ll keep swimming competitively at the same time.”

“Me too.” Makoto scratches the back of his neck. “I was a little at a lost when I first got the call from the scout, but I’m glad I ended up catching Sousuke-kun when I called. I… don’t think I even considered that I’d be able to do both. When I know that you and Haru are going to be putting everything into swimming it almost felt greedy, so I never thought about it.”

“Yeah, I still can’t believe it was _Sousuke_ that talked you around, though I’m glad. Not that he’ll take any credit.”

“…Why doesn’t that surprise me?”

They share a rueful grin at that.

“Actually,” Rin says after a moment, a thought occurring to him suddenly, “how are the twins taking the fact that you’re moving away in a few days?”

“Oh _god_ , please don’t remind me.” The way that Makoto’s face just drops at the words almost has Rin snorting with amusement; considering the way the two of them had been hanging from Makoto like small barnacles the last time he’d seen them, he isn’t surprised that they’re feeling a little of the separation anxiety already. “Ren actually woke up in the middle of the night because he said he had a nightmare about me adopting lots of cats in Tokyo and forgetting about the two of them, but then I adopted so _many_ cats in the meantime that they completely filled the place I was living at and ended up dying from suffocation and they never get to see me again??”

Rin, who had _just_ taken a sip from his coffee, almost chokes and barely manages to avoid spraying it all over the table as he cackles at that. He actually has to put the mug down, because even though he’s drank about a third of its contents it’s _still_ threatening to slosh over the rim and onto the table instead.

“I’d say he has an active imagination but I could actually see that happening,” Rin says, barely able to catch his breath. He leans over the table, smirking. “Go on, tell me more.”

He leaves the café a few hours later with cheeks sore from laughing, his belly full of the slice of dark chocolate orange and chili torte that Makoto had cajoled him into trying, and so much more eager to take on the world.

 

\--

 

< BluEyesWhalesharkDragon

Sousuke.Srsly.  
(20:09)

R U ALIVE??  
(20:21)

 

oh my god yes I’m alive  
(20:24)

I just forgot to reply don’t explode my phone jfc  
rin  
(20:25)

will you stop texting me now?? I don’t want your  
mother breaking down my door bc her stupid son’s  
spending all her money texting from OVERSEAS  
(20:27)

she can be fucking scary  
(20:27)

┐( ˘ ､ ˘ )┌ Don’t drop off the radar then jeez  
(20:29)

U brought this on urself  
(20:30)

Dn’t think I won’t set her on you on purpose   
(20:30)

alright already will you start using whatsapp  
now plz??  
(20:33)

Fine. But if u forget to stay in touch again  
(ง’̀-‘́)ง  
(20:35)

I will hound ur ass  
(20:35)

\--

 

Makoto likes to think he has a better handle on where things are in Tokyo since arriving just before the start of his first semester of university, but as his gaze drifts about the unfamiliar street his phone has lead him to he starts to feel less confident.

It's still early evening, the sun still respectably high, and the assignments are still coming in a slow trickle that he doesn't need to rush too much to compete. He'd left his last lecture of the day too mentally drained to even think about approaching the kitchen; he knows better than to tempt fate, especially without his full faculties.

As he’d bid farewell to his classmates and taken his phone off silent, Makoto had remembered his last conversation with Rin and the enthusiastic endorsement he had given for the elusive restaurant he’s still trying to find.

His stomach lets out a rumbling complaint of hunger as he finally catches sight of the restaurant’s sign, and Makoto gratefully backs out of the map app he’d been following directions from to follow his nose to the door. If the green curry is anywhere as good as Rin had suggested, Makoto figures the trouble of actually _finding_ the place will be completely worth it.

Makoto steps inside and the mixture of aromas hit him in a wave; he can already feel his mouth start to water in anticipation. Which is always a good sign.

There’s the usual bustle of the after-five-crowd, but it’s not busy enough that Makoto struggles to find a seat. He picks a small booth designed for two by the wall that gives him a good view of the rest of the restaurant, directly opposite the open kitchen.

He takes a quick look at the menu but isn’t swayed away from his favourite (as though there was ever any doubt); he sets it down on the table and looks around instead.

The chef has his back turned to him as he stirs the contents of various pans. His wife seems to be the lady flitting from table to table, taking orders and depositing meals as she goes while making it look like no effort at all. Makoto gets the idea that it must be a family run business as when she leans over the far end of the counter to call back into a space just outside of Makoto’s view, it seems more like the way one would address their children rather than an actual employee.

When she’s done, she makes her way over to Makoto’s table. There’s something about the set of her cheeks and the sharpness in her eyes that seems unsettlingly familiar as she takes Makoto’s order (and tells him to call for ‘Satomi-san’ if he needs anything in the meantime), but the thought is soon lost as she strides back to the counter and Makoto is distracted by checking Neko Atsume on his phone.

His first cup of green tea is down to the last dregs when a piping hot pate of curry slides onto the table in front of him. Makoto looks up from where he’d been squinting at a tiny version of his timetable on his phone to smile up at Satomi-san.

Makoto takes a moment to breathe in, and his smile turns into a beam; it smells _just_ like home.

It takes him back to the last time he’d had green curry at home, the night before he’d been due to leave for Tokyo. He can almost hear the tinkle of his mother’s laugh as Ren had attempted to hide behind her to dodge Ran, barely saving the spoonful of rice from scattering onto the floor that had almost slipped her grip. His father had stood by the table, eyeing the chaos with exasperation, though when he’d scolded the twins it had been half-hearted at best and with an amused grin threatening to ruin any weight his words held.

Makoto likes to think he’s been keeping any homesickness at bay fairly well, but the small reminder of the daily pandemonium that’s still happening in Iwatobi despite his absence and the thought of the complete silence in the apartment waiting for him to return really makes him want to hear his mother’s voice.

Well, he know’s what _he’s_ doing when he gets back.

There’s a strange look on Satomi-san’s face when Makoto thanks her, but the thought doesn’t stay with him long because he’s finally digging into his dinner, savouring just how close it is to the way his mother makes it.

He’s made his way through about half of the dish when he feels a strange prickling sensation at the base of his neck, and the inexplicable urge to squirm in his seat.

A quick glance shows that Satomi-san’s husband has ventured over to the side of the counter that Satomi-sanis perched at, the two of them utterly unabashed when Makoto catches them watching him, the look in their eyes considering.

Makoto gives them an awkward smile and attempts to convey that he’s enjoying his meal before ducking his head again and concentrating on finishing his dinner. The couple’s gaze still feels heavy on his back, but he hears the head chef shuffle back to the stove after he’s called from somewhere out of public view and Makoto’s then able to keep eating in peace.

Only a spoonful of his beloved green curry is left and he’s actually a little reluctant to finish it off even knowing that he has reading for class that he should _probably_ get started on soon waiting for him. He’s just doing the sums in his head to figure out if he can afford to come back whenever Haru has classes that run late like today and when Makoto doesn’t have practice (and as reasonably priced as the food is here, he probably shouldn’t), when he spots another figure emerging from the open kitchen from the corner of his eye.

They seem to spot each other in the same moment.

Later, when he’s back at home and not paying attention to the textbook on his lap, Makoto will think that he shouldn’t have been quite as surprised as he is considering that he’d never have found the place without Rin. But as it is, his brows are rising and his lips are parting in surprise as Sousuke of all people squints incredulously back at him.

“Tachibana?”

Sousuke winces as soon as it leaves his mouth as his mother – _Yamazaki_ Satomi-san – watches them both with amusement mounting in the wry twist of her mouth. She shoves her son towards Makoto’s table, muttering something to him that Makoto can’t hear but has Sousuke grumbling as he rolls his eyes and grabs the plate his father offers to him. Then he’s trudging over to Makoto and sliding in opposite him.

“Hi,” he says shortly, nose wrinkling as he glances over to where his mother is still watching. “Sorry about that. If you need to get going I won’t be offended if you leave.”

“Oh no, I’m not in any rush.” Actually Makoto had thought that to be obvious by the way he’s been sat here for so long, pushing the last bit of his meal around his plate to delay having to go back to his quiet apartment. He likes the hustle and bustle of evening trade as professionals drop in on their way home from work. It isn’t _heaving_ but Makoto’s still a little surprised he’s been able to occupy his corner for so long without having had to order a little more – not that his meagre college student budget would allow him much more if he wants to be back next week. “Besides, it’s nice to see a familiar face.”

Sousuke grunts in acknowledgement before making a start on his own dinner, and he seems as glad to be tucking into his katsudon as Makoto had been for his own meal earlier. Not that he gets far before his mother arrives, whapping him lightly on the back of his head with a tea towel before setting a can of cola onto the table for him.

“I apologise for my son’s manners. But it didn’t strike me until Sousuke mentioned your name, but I did think you looked familiar before. I didn’t remember _you_ , honestly, but I remember running into your parents before when we used to live in Iwatobi. How are they?”

By the time that Satomi-san’s attention is called away by her responsibilities again, Sousuke has managed to get through a good two thirds of his meal. When he next meets Makoto’s eyes, he can’t see any trace of the old hostility that he remembers from the start of last year. They’ve had the opportunity to meet a few times following that as Rin gathered his two friends groups whenever he could before leaving (between bouts of exam preparation), but Sousuke had mainly stuck with his Samezuka classmates and while he’d been friendly enough, Makoto hadn’t been able to speak to him much since that conversation on Rin’s phone.

Right now, he just looks curious.

“You haven’t been sent here by Rin to check on me, have you?”

Makoto blinks. “I didn’t even know you’d be here. Though Rin did tell me that I’d love the green curry. He wasn’t wrong.”

“That’ll make my dad’s day.”

“I can see that he’s busy, or I’d definitely pay my compliments to the chef personally!”

Sousuke snorts at that, but Makoto can see the beginnings of a grin curling up from the corner of his lips. “Probably a good thing then, don’t want him getting too big headed.”

Makoto hums quietly to himself. “I’ll bet that some of it was down to you, too, right?”

Sousuke pulls a face, one shoulder lifting in half a shrug. “I just help with the prep at the moment and leave all the _actual_ cooking to dad. Means we aren’t getting in each other’s way.”

“…considering I get run out of the kitchen at home, even for prep…”

This startles a bark of amusement from Sousuke, probably picturing Makoto being chased out of a kitchen with a spoon.

…Which isn’t _that_ far from the truth, honestly.

Sousuke actually squints suspiciously at Makoto when he says, “How the hell have you been managing since moving then?” and proceeds to mock Makoto’s mackerel related woes (as grateful as he is for Haru) and snicker at his rendition of his failed - and later more passable - culinary efforts over the past few weeks.

They slip into conversation with an ease that Makoto would never have expected

Conversation following that is surprisingly comfortable, and while Makoto seems to be volunteering more details about himself, Sousuke provides wry commentary that Makoto finds himself appreciating.

It’s much later than he’d intended by the time he slides from the booth, Sousuke furrowing his brows in his mother’s direction for not calling him back to the kitchen sooner. Still, when he does eventually make it back, Makoto’s smiling absently over the text book he’s cracked open.

It’s amazing the difference another friendly face can make.

 

\--                 

 

After the first time that they meet at the restaurant, Sousuke finds that he’s bumping into Makoto _everywhere_.

Or well, that may be a little unfair.

The majority of the time they spend together does actually tend to be at the restaurant; Sousuke’s parents seem to love Makoto to bits and treat him as almost a third son (the second being Rin), giving him a discount that means that he turns up two to three times a week. Sousuke tends to take his dinner break around the same time so he’s free again before the evening rush of orders and they take over the same booth that Makoto had claimed on his first visit.

He sometimes runs into him during the day too, when he’s running errands or out to buy the odd thing that they don’t get wholesale. And it’s not as though Makoto is using different routes now that he knows where Sousuke is – Sousuke’s self-aware enough to know that the world doesn’t actually revolve around him – but it’s more likely that he just notices more now that he’s aware of Makoto’s presence.

Makoto doesn’t always notice _him_ , but when he does he’ll usually stop to say hi, or at least smile if he’s in a rush.

Despite his initial reluctance at the idea, Sousuke's come to enjoy the small pocket of time they share in his break at the restaurant though.

The thing about Makoto is that while he’s perfectly happy to chat about his life and fill the air with words, he can also be content to just hang out in silence, sharing the odd smile or a raised brow over snippets of conversation they overhear without context.

He hadn’t fully appreciated it at the time, but back in high school Sousuke had initially queried whether Makoto was really qualified to be captain of his swim team; the only impression that _he_ had to go on at that stage was smiling boy back in elementary school who hadn’t quite grown into his gangly limbs and hung out with Haru. Most of his own interactions both in middle _and_ high school had been with Haru after all (it was strange to think that he’d even been to Haru’s _house_ before). Rin had attempted to set him straight, but it wasn’t until he’d seen ‘Captain Tachibana’ in action that Sousuke had believed him.

While Makoto’s dynamic stroke has always set him apart – whether he believes it or not – the other thing Sousuke remembers from their earlier meetings is the gentle upward quirk of his lips as he’d stood with his friends.

And while a captain must display _some_ degree of kindness, Sousuke had thought he’d be eaten alive.

He knows better now.

Because it wouldn’t be an inaccurate assessment to say that Makoto is observant as fuck. He picks up on the little things; fluctuations in tone, eye contact and mood. What a lot of people attribute to mindreading – and having seen it in action Sousuke can’t _really_ blame them – is just down to Makoto knowing _people_. It’s Makoto knowing people well enough to tell when they’re happy or sad, or have something to share. It’s him knowing their quirks. And even with people he _doesn’t_ know that well, he’s probably attentive enough to be able to pick up more than most.

He can tell when it’s a good idea to prod Sousuke into talking, when to leave him be, when the soothing cadence of his chatter is a welcome, grounding distraction from his thoughts.

And sometimes he doesn’t even _need_ to cajole Sousuke into talking.

There’s something to the soft set of his face, his drooping eyes, the warmth in his voice that lowers your guard; that makes you feel like you can drop the chokehold on your thoughts and feelings so that they rush out with no filter and with no fear of judgement.

Or in Sousuke’s case, pity.

Makoto doesn’t dance around his shoulder injury; doesn’t avoid all conversation relating to swimming. Granted it would be damn hard considering the nights he’s not stopping by he’s usually at practice, but he’s not afraid to ask if Souske’s okay if he thinks his friend might be overdoing it.

(He’s usually right, but while Makoto’s gaze is concerned, he doesn’t feel sorry for Sousuke. Which is good, because while he’s made peace with his injury that would be one thing he can’t tolerate).

Sousuke’s something of a handyman for people in the area during the daytime when business at the restaurant is slower, and after a particularly busy day helping Natsumoto-san put up new shelves in his shop for some extra cash Sousuke _might_ have pushed himself a little too far. He’s not particularly worried since the only thing he has planned that evening is going over to Makoto’s to play on the console that his parents had brought up from his bedroom on their first visit to their son.

It’s something of a surprise when Makoto beats him at Soul Calibur soundly again and again, and though he initially gets pretty fired up at trying to win at _least_ one match he soon tires of it – he blames the sheer amount of junk food he’d managed to get through when he’d first arrived at Makoto’s little 1K apartment.

And really, it’s better for everyone if Sousuke’s the one eating it all seeing as Makoto’s supposed to be stricter with his diet.

“Did Rin not give you the lecture?”

Makoto groans. “Always. But chocolate always seems to win out; I can have one vice right?”

“Well sure, but then why do you have so much _other_ junk?”

“…In case of guests?”

Sousuke’s eyebrows rise in blatant disbelief, but Makoto’s innocent expression is just this side of _too_ innocent so he lets it slide.

“Why are you so good at a fighting game anyway? I thought you were supposed to be the mediator of the group.”

The question startles a bark of laughter from Makoto, the corners of his eyes crinkling in amusement.

“I have twin siblings who both like to button mash,” he says, and Sousuke winces as that explains _everything_.

Makoto stands up, stretching out his back after being hunched over a controller for so long. Makoto’s television is a tiny relic so they’d had to sit forward without anything to rest their backs against as they’d attempted to kill each other on screen.

“If you’re any better at racing games I could put one of those in next?” Makoto asks, turning to look at Sousuke over his shoulder. “We can pull out my spare futon so you don’t need to go back home so late.”

He thinks about it for a moment, then shrugs because why the hell not? He might actually be able to beat Makoto so he might as well stay over and give it a shot. It wouldn’t be the first time he’s stayed over, and he knows where it’s kept by now anyway.

So he nods, says “I’ll go get it now so we don’t have to set it up later” and wanders across the room to slide the cupboard open. Sousuke can’t supress a wince when he lifts the futon down and knows that Makoto must have seen it, but there’s no comment as he lays it down on the floor.

“You okay?” Makoto asks lightly as he grabs the spare blanket and throws it over the futon. He nods back when Sousuke says he’s fine, trusting Sousuke enough to know his own limits, as he goes over towards the TV to change the game in his console.

Sousuke sighs behind him.

“You’re not going to ask anything else about it?”

Makoto, now crouched on the floor after swapping the disk, looks up at him. “No,” he says after a moment. “If you want to tell me I’ll listen, but I’m not about to force you to say anything you don’t want to.”

His face is devoid of the usual smile that softens his angles, the serious expression being one that Sousuke is certainly not used to seeing.

Sousuke can’t help but fidget a little with the ball back in his court, uncertain of what to do.

Makoto stays where he is, patient, without indicating one way or another what he’d prefer.

“Shit. Well, I know that Kisumi told you guys about when he bumped into me at the hospital; the shoulder problems had actually already started about two years before that. I already knew that it was pretty much shot when I transferred over to Samezuka. Swam anyway. I wasn’t planning on going back to swimming.” He leans against the wall and crosses his arms. Makoto keeps his gaze steady but doesn’t look particularly surprised. “The whole thing has meant lots of doctors and physiotherapy appointments, and they’re not exactly cheap. So I’ve been doing my bit to pitch in to make up for it. Not that my parents expect it, and well, they pay me a wage so it feels a little counterproductive, but it’s still helping out and I’m keeping some aside so that I can contribute in other ways even if they won’t take board.”

He feels like he’s getting a little maudlin, and pulls a face.

“Anyway, I enjoy the work so why not? Even if I had gone to university for swimming, I wouldn’t have enjoyed slogging over assignments. I’ve got my compulsory education out of the way; that’s enough for me.”

Sousuke tilts his head back so he’s watching the ceiling instead of Makoto’s face. His monologue’s probably the most he’s said to him all in one go, and it’s something so personal.

But when Makoto sinks down to sit beside him, arm brushing slightly against Sousuke as he passes him the second controller, and just says, “thanks for telling me,” without passing judgement he can’t regret telling him.

When Makoto follows with, “my stomach is forever in your debt for following your destined path of culinary genius,” he almost chokes, then collapses into Makoto’s side as he laughs long and hard.

This may not be a friendship he ever expected, but damn is he glad he fell into it.

 

\--

 

“…Makoto..?”

Despite definitely being able to hear feedback of _some_ sort, Rin squints at his laptop’s screen.

The backdrop that he sees is what he’s grown used to in their calls recently; a stack of precariously balanced books stacked on Makoto’s bedside table, a comfy looking patchwork blanket strewn over the back of a swivel chair, Makoto’s swimming duffel and trainers lined neatly against a wall.

Then he spots a small tuft of soft looking brown hair on the screen and hears a thud, followed shortly by a low whine of pain.

Finally, Makoto emerges, massaging the back of his head as he shimmies out from under his desk with a wince.

“I, uh, knocked my pencil case over just as I hit call?” He’s making a wounded squinty face that’s threatening to override his wince of sympathy to turn into full blown laughter because he honestly looks like a kicked puppy.

Rin coughs into his fist to disguise the slight warble it causes in his voice, and by the time he’s recovered himself Makoto looks to have settled down a bit more too.

Since moving to Australia this time around, Rin’s made a point of touching base with his friends back home when he can. He’d thought he’d been doing himself a favour by practically cutting his ties with everyone before; as though he’d be able to keep himself from missing them if he just didn’t _think_ about them, forgot that they ever meant anything to him at all.

He should have known, really, that the tactic was doomed to fail being as sentimental as he is. Still, as stubborn as Rin’s been known to be? He doesn’t want to make the same mistake again. And anyway, with the internet there’s even _less_ of an excuse for him not to stay in touch.

(As though anyone could keep him from Snapchat, _really_.)

Makoto’s probably the one he catches the most, barring his sister, and their Skype dates are practically once a week at this point; sometimes more often if they’re both free, though there are weeks where they don’t catch each other at all. When they aren’t Skyping, they have other ways to stay in touch, and as promised they still exchange pictures (and videos) of any cute animals they see.

Sousuke’s the kind of guy who’ll see that he has a message, read the preview in the notification and dismiss it without checking, fully intending on replying later. Only, later never _actually_ comes. It’s not that he’s ignoring anyone on purpose; he just _forgets_.

Sometimes Rin wonders how someone who can be as intense and serious as Sousuke can sometimes get can be so… blasé. But then he thinks of how highly-strung he himself can be despite how he tries to play it cool, and pot, have you met my good friend kettle?

The contact Haru keeps with him is sporadic at best, forever losing himself in his swimming, or painting, or something else that takes his fancy. He, as usual, takes things at his own pace, living in his own little bubble where time seems to flow differently than it does for everyone else and can be perfectly content to speak to Rin for five minutes once every couple of months (not that _Rin_ tends to settle for that).

It’s not like Rin feels the need to check in on his friends, per se, but he with the ocean of distance between them he likes to still be in the loop; likes to see their faces and hear their voices from time to time.

Still, even if the other two are kind of flaky, Makoto’s almost a focal point for news, and sometimes Makoto’ll have one of the two over while they’re Skyping and Rin’ll get to catch up with them that way.

There’s no real system to it, but it works, and even when he’s just sat on his futon reading without actually taking part in the conversation Makoto seems to be happy enough.

He’s alone today, and telling Rin all about his misadventure a few days earlier on Sousuke’s day off, when Sousuke had insisted that they get dinner somewhere _other_ than his parent’s restaurant.

(Rin’s still proud of the stroke of genius he’d had in tipping Makoto off about the green curry there. From what he _has_ heard from Sousuke, Mr and Mrs Yamazaki – unsurprisingly – _adore_ Makoto. No matter what Sousuke says, Rin knows he’s not _that_ far behind).

Sousuke being Sousuke had thought of where they could go; Makoto being the new kid on the block, as it were, had taken Sousuke’s word for it when he’d suggested a place he knew that they could go to.

Big mistake.

Two hours, a phone call and some frantic google searching later, they’d finally arrived at the intended restaurant, understandably exhausted and ravenous.

“While I feel kind of bad for not warning you about it, you probably would have thought I was just being mean and exaggerating if you hadn’t experienced Sou’s, uh, sense of direction for yourself.”

Makoto takes a breath and opens his mouth to protest, but one look from Rin has him deflating because he’s probably right. Instead, he’s a little rueful as he says, “I downloaded a few different navigation apps onto his phone but… I guess we’ll have to wait and see if they’re any help.”

“…True.”

Then it’s Rin’s turn, as he describes the cricket match that he’d somehow ended up watching and the dorm dramas that he’d been staying out of but following avidly. The team had earned a few rest days following an intense local competition that had been celebrated by visiting a pub for dinner, followed by an ill-advised bar crawl. Student life is fascinating and hilarious by turns and Rin’s letting himself enjoy every moment of it.

“What’s been going on with Haru lately? We haven’t been able to catch up recently.”

“Uh. Well.”

This has Rin’s brows climbing up his forehead; usually any queries about Haru were answered along the lines of ‘same as usual’ followed by a tale about mackerel, trying to drag him out of the bath, or his swimming. What could be happening with Haru that was making _Makoto_ uncertain? His face has scrunched up in the way it does when he’s trying to figure something out, and after a few moments of this Rin’s curiosity is _killing_ him.

“What is it?”

“D’you remember Yazaki Aki from elementary school?”

Admittedly Rin hasn’t thought of her for a long time, but he nods, remembering her red scarf and the enthusiasm he’d shared with her for swimming.

“ We hadn’t seen her since middle school since she moved to Tokyo for high school… She’s in a few of Haru’s classes so they’ve had an assignment they’re working on together. They’ve been getting pretty close actually, and it’s nice to see Haru connecting with her again.”

“…So what’s wrong?” Because Makoto sounds genuinely pleased for him so he’s not really seeing any need for concern here. He doesn’t seem jealous, at least.

“Well. He also ran into Kirishima Ikuya and ended up going for coffee; we swam relay with him in first year of middle school. They didn’t really get along at first, but we pulled together in the end.” Makoto looks lost in thought for a moment, probably thinking back to their relay. And even though he knows that Makoto and Haru (and even Sousuke and Nagisa) were swimming after he’d left for Australia the first time, it’s strange to think of them swimming a relay at that age without Rin. “Anyway,” Makoto continues, “he’s grown up a lot since then.”

“O-kay. So Haru’s reuiniting with a few old friends. I’m still not seeing a problem here.”

“Well, like I said Haru and Zaki-chan have been getting pretty close anyway, and then Ikuya shows up out of the blue and confesses to him?”

Rin _gapes_. But then again, this would only ever happen to Haru.

“…Somehow I’m not even surprised. Haru seems to be hitting all of the dramatic movie milestones.”

This makes Makoto grin. “I know, I’d have expected them to be in your life considering how theatrical _you_ can be.”

Rin huffs indignantly. “Ex _cuse_ me.” But he says it with a grin, though that fades a moment later as he processes this. “How’s Haru taking it all?”

Makoto presses his lips together in thought. “He’s confused, mostly, and worried about hurting either of them. You know how he is.”

And Rin _does_ know. For someone so blunt and straightforward, Haru _does_ worry a lot about people, and especially the way that his own actions impact upon them.

“Wow. Well if he’s got all of that on his plate it’s no wonder he’s been so busy lately. But is he going to be okay with you telling me all this?”

“Oh don’t worry about that, although he wants to sort through his own feelings by himself first he mentioned that he was going to speak to you about it. But between that, swimming practice and his classes he probably just hasn’t had the chance to yet.”

Rin makes a mental nod to touch base with him, in that case, but as long as Haru’s doing okay he’s not that worried since he’ll be seeing him in a couple of months’ time anyway.

Speaking of which.

“I hope you guys have cleared some time in your schedules for the arrival of yours truly,” Rin says, smirk sharp. In the small display of his own video feedback he can see the excited, anticipatory gleam of his eyes.

“Of _course_ we have,” Makoto says, actually _rolling his eyes_ at Rin. “I keep telling you, you don’t need to pay for a hotel room when I have a perfectly usable futon you can use. And I know what your student budget is like, you were complaining about the price of your groceries just last week.”

“Well yeah, but you’re going to be preparing for competitions too, right? I don’t want to get in your way or bog down your routine. And it’s not like they guys I’m flying up with aren’t getting somewhere to stay.”

Makoto just gives him that look that he tends to give Haru when he’s jumping into water sources that aren’t appropriate for swimming in.

“If you’re absolutely sure,” Makoto says with a sigh. “But the offers open if you change your mind okay?”

 

\--

 

Throat slightly dry and voice getting a little gravelly, Makoto is finally allowed to abandon his microphone to sink into a couch with a drink.

If there's one place that Makoto couldn't have predicted that they'd end up going to, karaoke would probably fit the bill.

After being let out of his last class a little earlier than expected, Makoto had been the first to arrive at the Yamazaki's restaurant, striking up an easy conversation about television with Satomi-san as he waited for the others to arrive.

Sousuke had nudged the front door open with the tip of his shoe, rolling his eyes when he realised the topic of their discussion (which had  devolved into serious speculation on what would be happening, Sousuke's father chipping in every now and again from the kitchen between dishes). After him, running a hand through his hair, ambled Rin.

Who was almost spoilered the second he got through the door.

The first words out of his mouth are a startled "Naoki did what?!" The single strap from his backpack that had been slung over his shoulder had slid down as his mouth had gone slack.

A moment of shared silence had followed, only broken by Sousuke  as he slid into a free stool at the counter and let his head thump down onto his croosed arms with a groan of exasperation. His father had petted his head in sympathy as he'd passed by, chuckling, as Satomi-san rounded on Rin.

"I have half a mind to actually tell you," she'd said with narrowed eyes, "it would serve you right for never visiting when you're actually in the country."

"But Satomi obasan I wasn't in Tokyo-"

"Excuses."

Makoto definitely hadn't envied the intense stare down Rin was experiencing, though a glance to his left told him Sousuke was thoroughly enjoying the show.

He _would_ , considering it was a tactic he himself deployed often.

Rin had squirmed guiltily under the gaze until Makoto had taken pity on him with a placating, "Oh but he's here now Satomi-san!" while offering Rin a copy of what he'd downloaded in the same breath.

Satomi-san had held the expression for a few seconds, then broken into a grin as she'd mused Rin's hair affectionately. "I suppose I can think about forgiving you if you call me 'Satomi-san' like Makoto does instead of making me feel old."

Rin had shot Makoto a glare of mock betrayal, but before anything else could be said Sousuke had intervened with a "Well this is fun but we'll be off now."

After Rin had been made to promise that he'd stop by for a snack and a catch up before flying back to Australia, Sousuke had dragged the two of them out of his mother's clutches.

Unsurprisingly, the suggestion of karaoke had come from Rin.

It had been Sousuke's willingness to go along with the idea that had bewildered Makoto.

(Sousuke would make the argument that he'd been apathetic about the idea, but Makoto had caught the way his eyes had glinted as he'd given his consent with affected indifference.)

Rin and Sousuke had started competing for points as soon as the first song had started, watching the scores go up like hawks as they tried to one up each other.  
Sousuke has the sort of voice that would probably be suited to singing if he'd ever bothered to hone the craft at all; as it is, he'd sounded pleasant until he started getting riled up about points, at which point he'd start to spiral away from the tempo and tune to dodge the odd pillow Rin decided to pelt him with.

Rin... isn't awful, by any means, but it's a good thing he won't be quitting his day job any time soon.

Makoto had managed to get away with singing anime theme songs for the most part as they'd battled, completely content to watch them go at it while singing songs he was used to hearing Ren and Ran belt at the top of their lungs...

And then as they'd taken a break to order more drinks and a few nibbles, he'd noticed Sousuke staring him down.

"Sousuke?" He'd asked, floundering a little under the scrutiny.

"I've _heard_  the type of stuff you usually listen to through your headphones. Why are you just singing stuff like Doraemon and Poyopoyo?"

Makoto had shrugged and mumbled something about them being what he knew best.

" _Bull_ shit."

In revenge he and Rin had queued three songs that Sousuke had _seen_  playing on his phone before back to back and had shoved Makoto to the front of the room with a mike and matching, challenging smirks.

Now, as he catches his breath and gulps down a glass of cold water, he's finally able to sigh as the last notes of the final song dwindle into silence.

Sousuke and Rin watch avidly as his points rack up on screen, topping anything _they've_  sang so far today. Neither look particularly bothered by this though, oddly enough.

Makoto doesn't pay them any mind, happy to finally have a break after singing three songs one after the other.

"...Okay so, Makoto why are you not in a rock band?"

Makoto looks up from his drained glass to blink quizzically at Rin.

"I mean, I'd never imagined you being able to do the whole sexy growl thing but it definitely worked for you. _And_  you're a great singer. Kind of goes against the whole 'boy next door' thing you have going for you though."

Cheeks flushing darkly at the praise, Makoto squeaks in surprise - it's a complete contrast to the way he'd been singing just a few moments before and it has Sousuke snorting in amusement.

"I don't know, I think there's definitely still an element of that there." He looks Makoto up and down for a moment. "I could see him with a guitar."

"You two are ridiculous." Makoto throws the last pillow that remains on the couch at Sousuke; he manages to dodge it before it can connect with his smirking face, but Rin isn't quite as lucky.

And, it turns out, he isn't about to take that lying down, either.

There's a terrifying grin on his face as he whips the pillow up from where it had landed by his feet, brandishing it at Sousuke and Makoto like some sort of weapon.

(Ten minutes later they've completely forgotten about the time limit on their booth and when an attendant pops their head around the door to kick them out, it's to find Makoto attempting to hide behind the backrest of one of the couches while Sousuke and Rin batter each other with pillows while trying to drag him out.

Month-long ban in place, the trio are tossed out of the establishment.

Totally worth it.)

 

\--

 

Makoto’s tiny TV is a low hum in the background as Sousuke hops from channel to channel without much purpose. Makoto’s sitting beside him, back propped up against the wall while Sousuke sprawls across the futon. The quiet clacking of keys as Makoto works on an assignment is soothing, but it sounds as muted and dull as the television after the whirlwind of a week they’ve just spent with Rin.

Even Makoto looks a little restless, fidgeting as though he can’t get comfortable, taking his glasses off every so often to rub at the bridge of his nose in distraction. His brows slope down in a gentle furrow, his eyes not quite focused as he stares at the screen. It’s the final stretch of his essay, and while Sousuke’s here for the company (and to occasionally make a cup of coffee like a good friend), he’s content to let Makoto power through his conclusion and make sure he stays awake long enough to edit the thing.

With nothing better on offer, Sousuke drops the control onto a pillow having settled on some old documentary about extra-terrestrials.

Once he’s watched for a couple of minutes it turns out that it’s more about conspiracy theories than anything grounded in factual evidence, and it’s the kind of thing Rin would get a kick out of; he remembers watching shows like this together when they were younger, trying to come up with mundane solutions to solve the proposed wacky theories (in Sousuke’s case) or come up with even _more_ ridiculous explanations (in Rin’s). In fact, Sousuke has the perfect solution to the theory they’re currently expounding upon-

And then he realises that Rin’s actually across the sea in another time zone entirely.

It’s not the first time it’s happened since last week, and from the looks of it it also won’t be the last.

And it’s so weird because Sousuke’s done this before; Rin had left Sano to get to Iwatobi in the first place and while it had been strange that the kid that had spent so much time pestering him into swimming wasn’t sitting at the front of his class anymore, as far as Sousuke had been concerned they’d said all that they needed to before parting ways and besides, it wasn’t as though he’d never see Rin again.

It hadn’t even really made a huge difference after he’d jetted off after their third year at Samezuka either, despite them having spent most of that year in each other’s pockets as roommates _and_ teammates. He’d known Rin was going to pester him by text, email and any other form of communication he could because he know’s _Rin._

There’s no reason for him to be feeling any different now. (If anything, since Rin had gotten hold of Sousuke’s phone and forcibly downloaded snapchat he’s probably going to have to clear his memory frequently from the amount of snaps he sends – no wonder Makoto’s phone seems to go off so often.)

When Rin had first ambled through the doors of the Yamazaki’s restaurant, Sousuke had considered the possibility that things could get awkward. He, Rin, Haru and Makoto hadn’t spent any time together since Rin’s flight, and the dynamic was definitely going to be different from high school now.

Turns out that he needn’t have worried.

While he wouldn’t say that it felt like Makoto had always been a part of his friendship with Rin – because the logical part of his brain could _never_ really parse the expression – he had slotted right in regardless.

Makoto fussed and lit the place up with his smile, Rin grumbled in embarrassment as he attempted not to get emotional, Sousuke had smirked and teased and prodded as he was prone to.

Haru had just thanked Sousuke’s mother for the mackerel and watched the spectacle with mounting bemusement.

As a particularly fuzzy photograph of a slightly distorted speck in the sky flashes across the television screen, Sousuke looks over to Makoto and wonders if he’s felt like there’s suddenly a Rin-shaped whole in his life even though they’ve both been fine until now.

 

\--

 

“-and seriously, I can’t believe he hasn’t even introduced me over Skype or anything when they’ve been… doing whatever they’re doing for so long already. Aren’t I the only one who hasn’t been yet?”

“I think that’s more due to the fact that you’re in another continent and the others have met them both before now already, Rin.”

Rin sniffs, because clearly that answer is unacceptable.

“And anyway,” Makoto says as he rolls his chair back towards the table next to his futon, digging for his mobile as it trills for his attention, “they’re still figuring out ‘whatever they’re doing’ in a way that works for them. Zaki-chan and Ikuya have had even less contact with each other than they’ve had with Haru so I guess they’re all getting to know each other again. Haru’ll introduce them to you when they’re ready, you just need to be patient.”

“…Do I look like the kind of guy to have a lot of patience?” Rin asks rhetorically, watching as Makoto rolls his eyes and finally unearths his phone from underneath a pile of folders. He glances at the screen with a slight furrow in his brow as he rolls back to his laptop, and Rin peers at him from under his lashes. “Something wrong?”

Makoto doesn’t answer, his eyes scanning the screen as he starts biting his lip; Rin’s sure he doesn’t even realise he’s doing it.

In the end Rin has to clear his throat before Makoto remembers that he’s technically not alone, and the way he jumps might have been cute if not for the way his grip tightens on the phone in a white knuckled grip.

“Makoto, what’s happened?”

“So, you know how I’m supposed to be moving to the new place in two weeks?”

“Yeah? Your lease as a first year here is up, right?”

“Right,” Makoto says slowly, looking as though he’s going to work himself into a frenzy. “It’s a 2DK a little further out from the centre but it’s affordable if you split rent and bills, and there’s a swim club nearby that I could get experience coaching at over the weekends.” He rakes a hand through his hair roughly, pushing his fringe back. “A classmate was going to be sharing with me, but he’s had a family emergency that means he’s taking at least a year out and will be going back home.”

Rin swears under his breath.

“I’m guessing that most of the others have already sorted their accommodation out by now, huh?” It’s just a guess, but Makoto nods back miserably.

Well, shit.

They sit together for a while, throwing ideas back and forth (and shooting them back down again a moment later), and the way that Makoto seems to be sinking into himself and growing more despondent as they run out of steam makes Rin want to hit something.

He himself won’t be back for another year discounting any competitions his coach decides he should participate in, and it’s not like _he_ knows anyone apartment hunting in Tokyo… He wracks his brain for a solution, and is pretty frustrated when he comes up empty.

“Makoto?”

Makoto glances up from where he’d been squinting unhappily down at the message on his phone to meet Rin’s slightly pixilated gaze.

“Yeah?”

“Why don’t you try asking Sousuke?”

Makoto stares at him for a moment, then blinks. “I guess he would be more likely to know someone local who might need somewhere to stay,” he says dubiously, as though trying to convince himself.

Rin snorts.

“No, I meant why don’t you ask Sousuke to move in with you? He’s been whining about wanting a bit of independence for a while now and his parents are probably more likely to say yeah if they know he’ll be with you.”

“…You think so?”

Rin shrugs.

Can’t hurt to try, right?

 

\--

 

It’s the first time Makoto’s shared a living space where family – or Haru – aren’t involved, and honestly?

Makoto would like to think it’s going pretty well.

He hadn’t really been hopeful when Rin had suggested the idea; he’d only really asked Sousuke to cover all bases while at the verge of giving up entirely when Sousuke had surprised him by seriously mulling the idea over and asking if he could see the place in question.

Considering a prerequisite of the landlord had been a meeting with the new tenant before anything could be agreed anyway, Makoto had agreed and set the viewing up.

The rest, as they say, is history.

They’re now a month and a half into their stint of sharing a living space and have settled into it pretty well.

Sousuke, of course, tends to prepare the meals, sometimes bringing home leftovers packed by his parents for Makoto’s benefit (though Makoto can’t help but notice they look too perfect and smell too fresh to actually _be_ leftovers). Makoto does the dishes and puts them away after they’ve dried, with the rest of the chores divided equally between the two of them.

Their schedules differ, so during the week they don’t actually see as much of each other as they might have before with Makoto’s swim practices starting to ramp up in intensity. Sousuke gets a part time job to fill his day when he’s not at the restaurant, setting himself a budget and saving scrupulously to make sure he’s always on top of his share of the rent. He’s a little forgetful about picking up after himself, and Makoto’s sure it must have driven Rin crazy back at Samezuka, but it’s not something that bother’s Makoto, especially when he sees how hard Sousuke’s working.

Still, they have the weekends where they’ll often go out for groceries and pick up a little something to snack on while they watch a movie in the evening. Sousuke sometimes pops down to the swimming club on days that Makoto’s working there, and one day when he notices Sousuke waiting for him after the class he’s teaching has been let out reveals that he’s been getting nutritional advice from one of his student’s mothers as he waited.

They learn _so much more_ about each other; the quirks and idiosyncrasies that you only really display at home.

He sees Sousuke in his ratty old Chouzetsu Gattai Doppelganger pyjamas and learns of the way he exhales heavily in his sleep, in a quiet, almost snore. He hears it a lot as it turns out that Sousuke has the dubious talent of being able to fall asleep absolutely _anywhere_. He learns that Sousuke consumes a frankly worrying amount of Cola, hates mornings, and takes competitive cooking shows _way_ too seriously.

He mutters song lyrics under his breath, finds shaving tedious but does it meticulously anyway, and uses up all of the hot water when he showers.

He also finds that Sousuke’s the type to carefully remove your glasses and tuck a blanket around you when you fall asleep at the table halfway through assembling a bibliography.

Makoto sometimes wonders about the things Sousuke’s picked up about _him_ in their time together, and how bad they are; he hasn’t gone running for the hills at least, so there’s that, and Sousuke’s the type to speak his mind if unhappy.

They’re a good fit, able to navigate around each other where necessary, their shared home life slipping seamlessly into their respective routines with little trouble.

While Makoto admits that he doesn’t really have a lot to compare the experience to, Sousuke is definitely a better roommate than his class mate probably would have been.

Well, he thinks wryly, he probably owes Rin one for that.

 

\--

 

Rin’s smirk when he steps into their apartment is wide and of the shit-eating variety that tips Sousuke off to the fact that he’s going to be completely insufferable.

It’s his first time there, and Rin takes it all in with wide eyes, studying the small touches he and Makoto have given the place to make it their own.

Makoto’s still sat where Sousuke had left him, tapping away at his laptop with one earphone hanging from his neck as he hums along to the tune being pumped into his ear from the other.

“Look what followed me home,” Sousuke says, grinning.

Makoto’s brows furrow as his head drifts over to look, his eyes going wide as they land on Rin who actually ducks his head a little sheepishly. “Surprise?”

“Rin!”

Makoto leaps up, his laptop almost spilling onto the floor in his haste to bound over and pull Rin into a bear hug.

“I thought you weren’t going to be here until tomorrow evening?”

“Oh, y’know, just thought I’d drop by a day early so we could hang out before we head out of Tokyo. I’m only going to be back for about half a day after the tournament I’m here for so I figured-”

Makoto cuts him off with another quick squeeze and then lets go, beaming.

“I’m really glad that you did,” he says, the warmth in his voice causing a flush to crawl across Rin’s cheeks. Sousuke snickers from behind them, and Makoto smacks him lightly as he passes to get to the kitchen.

“I can’t believe you didn’t say anything, honestly Sousuke.”

“Wouldn’t have been a surprise then though, would it?”

He can just about make out Makoto’s sigh full of fond exasperation as he putters around while making tea, and Sousuke can already feel the contentment washing over him at having the two of them with him again.

They leave Makoto to it as Sousuke wheels Rin’s suitcase to his room, its owner hefting a duffle bag over his shoulder and following Sousuke down the hallway. They set up a futon for Rin to use while he’s there, snarking back and forth as they get each other up to speed since the last time they spoke.

They end up just sitting for a few moments since they can still hear Makoto moving around, thinking it better to stay out of his way while he’s in the kitchen; his time with Sousuke means that he’s slightly less of a hazard when left alone in there now, and having the two of them hovering over his shoulder would probably more of a hindrance than a help.

“So anyway,” Rin’s saying, and there’s a strange twist to his mouth that Sousuke’s not quite sure how to read. “Are you and Makoto _together_ now or something?”

Sousuke’s pretty sure his brows have risen off his forehead and made off to pursue a life of their own with the way they’ve shot so far up his forehead. Rin’s watching him in something like anticipation, looking curious enough to burst and a little apprehensive all at once.

Sousuke snorts. And then he’s dissolving into laughter so bad that he wonders whether Makoto himself will abandon the tea to see what’s going on.

“Oh man, Rin you’re hilarious. No we’re not dating. Why?”

Rin shifts in his seat. “I don’t know, it’s just the way you guys move around each other, and the way you interact. I’m not sure how to describe it. But it just seems like there’s more going on with you than what’s on the surface, y’know?”

Sousuke hums contemplatively, considering this.

It’s not that the thought of what it’d be like to date Makoto had never crossed his mind; Sousuke’s not _blind_ after all, and honestly Makoto’s the kind of guy that all parents probably wish their children would bring home. After getting to know him better he knows better than to take Makoto’s outward appearance to be the full depth of his character; he knows about Makoto’s subtle wit, his mischievous streak, and the way he’s so unwilling to give up on anything.

Still, if he were to follow Rin’s logic here…

“You do realise that that’s what people have said about the two of us for years as well, right?”

“I… They what??”

Sousuke has to supress a fresh wave of laughter at the befuddled look on Rin’s face.

 

\--

 

When Rin smashes through a record at the tournament, he knows that there’s no way his friends’ll let him go back to Australia without celebrating in some way.

They settle on throwing a small party at Sousuke and Makoto’s flat since it’s where Rin is staying, as well as it being the biggest place they can use without being charged, that means they need snacks and drinks in abundance.

He mentions this to Sousuke, who only snorts and says that they don’t need to worry about snacks since Makoto still hoards a stash in case of unexpected guests. Drinks, however, may be an issue.

They decide to wing it for the time being since the convenience store is just around the corner, and they may not even _need_ extra.

Haru comes along with Aki and Ikuya in tow (much to Rin’s delight), and somehow Kisumi has managed to tag along too. For some reason Rin can’t even muster surprise at this, but it’s good to see him after so long so he doesn’t dwell on the thought long.

He doesn’t even know where the time’s going, and honestly it’s been such a long time since he’s been able to just hang out with his friends like this that he’s not really keeping track. He’s already managed to strike a surprisingly long conversation with Ikuya about hair products that has Haru rolling his eyes and Sousuke snickering at them.

Still, with the number of guests being what it is, they do run out of drinks and they decide that a drinks run has become necessary.

Makoto shrugs and volunteers to go, and soon he and Haru are leaving with a rather long list of things to pick up. (Rin’s not even sure how much of it will be available wherever they’re going, but he stops thinking about it soon enough when Aki comes over with a bowl of popcorn and a mind to catch up.)

They chat for a while as Aki tells him enthusiastically about her classes, but after a while he excuses himself to sit out on the balcony where Sousuke has stepped outside to clear his head.

Rin sits gingerly on the floor with his back leaning against the rail fencing, letting the cool air wash over his warm cheeks. He doesn’t feel the need to say anything, tilting is head back to look up at the sky where enough cloud has cleared so that Rin can actually see a star or two.

The still quiet of the evening is broken by the rustle of movement downstairs, and he soon figures out that it’s the crinkle of plastic as Haru and Makoto bring back the requested drinks.

“Ha _ruuuu_ ,” Makoto’s saying with a whine in his voice, sounding as though someone’s told him all of the chocolate’s gone.

Haru himself seems completely unaffected even though the sound had caused both Rin and Sousuke’s heads to shoot up.

“What? You’re an open book anyway. You should just say something to them.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, there’s no way I can…”

Makoto’s voice fades as the two of them disappear into the building.

Sousuke and Rin glance at each other from the corner of their eyes, then look away with the same thought.

What on earth had that been about?

 

\--

 

Considering Rin has a plane to catch tomorrow evening, he probably shouldn’t be awake. Still, Sousuke watches as his thin fingers wind into Makoto’s fluffy hair, combing through it absently as the taller boy uses Rin’s lap for a pillow.

As for Sousuke, he’s slumped into Rin’s side from behind; if he really wanted to, he could probably just slide in behind Rin so that he’s between Sousuke’s legs, but that would involve moving and while Sousuke wouldn’t say that he’s drunk he’d really prefer to stay still at this point in time.

The place isn’t as trashed as it could be since he and Haru had managed to at least gather the empty bottles, packets and wrappers into a few bags to take down to the bins tomorrow before Haru had left.

Sousuke supresses a yawn, turning his head into Rin’s shoulder to muffle the sound to keep from disturbing Makoto before turning his attention back to the other two.

“You know,” Rin says quietly, his voice low as he continues to card through Makoto’s hair, “Kisumi said something interesting to me today.”

“Oh, yeah?”

Usually Sousuke might have been a little suspicious of what that could be, but there’s a slight haze of beer and sleep in his mind that lets it slip under the radar this time around.

“He was talking about how he missed the invitation to ‘our little threesome’ but that he thought that we were all great for each other. And,” he continues, and Sousuke’s not sure whether it’s his owntone he’s using or an imitation of Kisumi’s, “he wanted to know whether applications are still open. Cause he’d want in on that.”

It takes a moment for that to sink in, but when it does Sousuke actually guffaws a little. “He’s always so straightforward,” he mutters, but doesn’t elaborate on whether that’s a good thing or bad. ”Wow, when _did_ signups happen? Cause I think I missed them and I’m still interested in enrolling.”

Now it’s Rin who’s snickering back in amusement. “Can you imagine the description on the form though? Three hot pieces of ass – one tall, two taller – with the best pecs, traps and glutes you could hope to see. One sweet, one salty, one bitter. Comes in-” and Rin has to stop to giggle a little before continuing, “-mild, hot, and holy shit levels of _spice_.”

There’s a little movement from Makoto on Rin’s thigh, and as his face turns outwards his cheeks seem to be a _lot_ more flushed than before. So maybe he has been awake all this time?

Sousuke leans forward to run a finger down the apple of his cheek, and Makoto turns blearily into the contact, his eyelids fluttering slightly.

Once his and Rin’s laughter has died down a little, though, Sousuke thinks of what they’d said, and thinks of a different tact.

“I wonder how it works for Haru? His situation’s still a threesome too, right?”

Rin shrugs; even after seeing the three of them together in action, he’s still unsure of how Haru, Aki and Ikuya work together. “Well, even if they have worked it all out, can’t be easy to talk about.”

Makoto rolls over, a sliver of green peeking out from between his dusky lashes. “It’s brave, going into a relationship that so un.. unc…”

“Unconventional?” Sousuke suggests.

Makoto hums, nose scrunching adorably as he tries to find the right words and tries to stay awake to say them.

“Is it something you’ve thought about?” Rin prods, eyes riveted to Makoto now. Sousuke can’t blame him.

Sighing softly, Makoto’s lifts part. Sousuke and Rin both lean forwards in anticipation…

And are disappointed when Makoto exhales, fast asleep once more.

 

\--

 

They let Makoto sleep in the next morning and chug glass each of the orange juice he’d bought for them the day before in anticipation of hangovers.

Rin doesn’t feel too bad all things considered; most of them had really only been tipsy rather than drunk so there’s not so much to claw back from as there could have been.

He’s pretty sure he remembers everything of consequence that happened last night, anyway.

Rin peers over the rim of his glass and watches as Sousuke drains his own glass, throat bobbing as he drinks the last of it.

“So that conversation we had last night after everyone left,” Rin starts, and Sousuke turns towards him slowly, blue eyes intense as he waits for him to continue. “I didn’t just imagine it, did I?”

Sousuke huffs out a breath, as though he’d been holding it in.

“Unless we’re sharing hallucinations, I doubt it.”

“Shit.”

“Yeah.”

“So what do we do?”

“You’re serious about this, aren’t you?”

“Well, yeah. It’s not like I hadn’t thought about it – being _together_ – before Kisumi said anything but it’s not just because it’d be hot as hell.” Rin looks down and away from Sousuke, feeling a slight flush rising to his cheeks. He’s mumbling by the time he continues. “It’s you and Makoto, how could I not?”

He hears the sound of breath catching and looks up; the tips of Sousuke’s ears are turning a little pink, and he looks like he’s barely breathing.

“So what do we do now?”

 

\--

 

“…So why are you telling _me_ any of this?”

Haru sounds bored, and possibly a little harassed as he finally speaks, having heard the jumbled retelling of what he’d missed after he’d left their place the night before. Sousuke’s sure he’s probably wearing the expression to match, and he’s pretty sure it’s a good thing he can’t actually see it or he might want to punch something.

Old habits die hard, right?

But that’d be counterproductive at this stage.

“So what should we do?” Rin hisses, looking rankled. “You know him best, right? Is he even going to believe that we’re serious after the conversation yesterday?”

“You know him pretty well yourself too, Rin.”

“ _Haru._ ”

“What? You’re being ridiculous, you just need to talk to him.” He pauses, and then continues under his breath. “He probably can’t even remember.”

“…You sound pretty confident about the just talking to him thing,” Sousuke remarks, wondering what exactly Haru knows.

“Well yeah. But if you’re not, you need to show him and back up your words.”

Then he hangs up.

 

_\--_

 

When Makoto wakes up, his face is smushed into his pillow and his legs are practically immobile by the way his blanket has tangled between them. It takes a moment for his sight to focus as light streams in through the window and onto his face.

He rolls over out of self-preservation, then carefully unthreads the blanket so that he can stand up without toppling over.

He rolls up into a stretch, back popping as he reaches to the ceiling.

He doesn’t remember stumbling into his room, but he figures his presence there must be down to Sousuke and Rin.

Speaking of whom.

After a quick trip to the bathroom, Makoto treads through the apartment towards their communal area where Sousuke and Rin sit at the table, their heads ducked together as they talk in a hush.

He watches them for a moment from the doorway, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips at how comfortable they look; at the familiarity of the two of them talking animatedly about something or the other.

Sousuke spots him first, the eyes that had looked so cold and intimidating once upon a time now thawed by something tender that makes Makoto think sipping of hot chocolate in front of an open fire on a chilly day.

If Sousuke’s eyes make him feel cozy, Rin, when he looks up, has him thinking of balmy beaches, of sand in his feet, of – of course – a shower of cherry blossom petals.

He feels a swell of affection for the two of them as he pushes away from the door arch to stride towards them, feeling utterly light.

“You guys should have woken me up. Have you been awake long?”

Sousuke gives a non-committal grunt and Rin shrugs. It makes Makoto chuckle, having expected no less from either of them after watching them go through beer bottles like water.

He really does love his pair of idiots.

Sousuke and Rin’s eyes go wide.

“…I just said that out loud, didn’t I.”

For a moment the room is completely still; Makoto’s holding his breath and he’s sure that the frantic thump of his heart can be heard across the country.

The thought has left his mouth, his heart, his mind, but it isn’t untrue.

It’s Rin who breaks the silence.

“Well shit. I can’t believe he beat us to it, after _all of that_.”

“Literally stole the words out of our mouths. What the hell, Makoto.”

They’re both grinning at him, gazes still a little dazed; as though they can’t quite believe what’s happening.

Makoto’s not sure that he can either.

Still, before his brain to mouth filter can kick in he’s saying, “Well if I’ve taken something from you that doesn’t belong to me, maybe you should take it back?”

There’s a second score of shocked silence, and this time Makoto can feel a blush crawling from his neck up to his face at just how _embarrassing_ that sounded.

But he refuses to take it back.

Then Sousuke’s laughing, happy and startled, knocking a chair over as he pushes up from the table; striding forward until he’s practically nose to nose with Makoto.

“Maybe I will,” is all he says before leaning forwards and capturing his lips in a kiss that has Rin squawking indignantly in the background about how unfair it is that Sousuke got to kiss him first and-

Sousuke pulls back, rolls his eyes, and just grabs Rin as well.

**Author's Note:**

> I actually really struggled to pick a prompt for this one, but that’s because I was massively tempted by ALL of them ^^’ So I ended up dithering towards the beginning because I had so many different ideas…
> 
> This OT3 one grabbed me the most though, so I went for it. I definitely didn’t think it was going to get this long; I think it’s probably the longest fic I’ve written so far that is complete! 0.0
> 
> As it says in the tags, I ended up picking bits and pieces up from the High Speed 2 novel, though I guess that’s obvious from the (minimal) inclusion of Ikuya; the bits with Sousuke actually ended up having a bigger impact on how I was writing him than I expected! But I thought it was interesting that although he’s competitive he doesn’t seem quite as hostile as he does at the beginning of Eternal Summer.
> 
> I also really liked the idea of the way that Haru’s situation is somewhat parallel to, but also WAY DIFFERENT to SouRinMako’s XD
> 
> If you haven’t had the chance to read HS2, I’d definitely recommend that you do ^^ Links are here: http://sayasamax3.tumblr.com/post/56013645417/high-speed-translations-and-summaries  
> The title is from The Neighbourhood’s song Sweater Weather, but I actually prefer the version by The Slaves (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bxn5th2B-VI).
> 
> In terms of the prompts criteria? I decied that I wanted to try hitting all three points; not sure I was completely successful considering I wouldn’t be able to write about any corruption happening to save my life, but I guess it’s kind of drunkenly hinted at..?
> 
> Btw, you can probably tell but I've never done karaoke before; the closest is playing singstar with friends (where a certain rendition of Circle of Life was completely slaughtered, but we don't talk about that anymore... much). But anyway, uh just take it with a pinch of salt with the way that scene goes XD
> 
> Anyway, hope you enjoyed reading this! XD


End file.
